Needle element for knitting machines



Aug. 19, 1941. c. D. WOOD 2,253,057

NEEDLE ELEMENT FO R KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 17, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. Cka /zs fl Aug. 19, 1941. c, WOOD 2,253,057

NEEDLE ELEMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES v Filed Jan. 17, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 "+14- V" LAW Aug. 19, 1941. c, WOOD 2.253.057

NEEDLE ELEMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 17, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 19, 1941 NEEDLE ELEMENT FOR. KNITTING MACHINES Charles D. Wood, North Bend, British Columbia Canad Application January 17, 1940, Serial No. 314,329

4 Claims.

The invention relates to knitting devices, and the like, and has for an object to present means whereby work similar to that done with the common knitting needles may be produced rapidly and neatly, in identically the same patterns as ordinarily practiced, and to enable fancy stitches, if desired; and to permit the production of a body cloth with a laid-on intermitted pattern to produce a surface design at one side, on distinctive and various colors if desired.

It is an important object of the invention to present a device of an extremely simple construction adapted to be produced at a low cost, and which may be used by persons without special training to effect the rapid knitting of cloth, garments, and the like.

A, salient purpose of the invention is to present a device which will enable the production of a very large number of stitches rapidly and with great uniformity, with a minimum liability of dropping of stitches, or miscounts, and other errors common in knitting. A specific object of the invention is to present a novel form of needle used in production of the work. Another important object is to present a novel means for operating the needle in a gang to enable the Another important aim of the invention is to provide a device of this kind which may be mounted upon the edges of an ordinary table or desk in a secure manner to enable its rapid and eflective operation and utilization.

Another important attainment and object of the invention is to present a novel tensioning construction whereby the closeness of the matcrial may be readily regulated.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will be readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is afragmentary detail of the rear side of the needle pallet.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the central, part 0! the machine.

Figure 4 is a cross section of the machine.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top view of the machine.

Figures 6 to 10 are detail views of a needle and the work, showing the successive stages in the knitting operations.

Figure 11 is a detail of the needle points and recesses.

Figure 12 is a side elevation of a needle double the actual size.

Figure 13 is a similarly enlarged top view of a needle. 1

Figure 14 is a formal perspective view of three needles, showing the method of starting a piece of work, the formation of the first loop on a needle.

Figure 15 is a similar view showing a second stage of the operation of starting, the three needles being looped, and any number would be looped by a continuation of the arrangement shown.

Figure 16 shows a third stage with the needles operlied and the yarn laid through the outer parts 0' a l.

Figure 17 showsv a further stage in the closing of the needles.

Figure 18 is a perspective view of an auxiliary drawing tool.

There is illustrated a machine comprising a body board or back plate 20 having two yokes 2| fixed on the back side thereof, upper and lower arms projected horizontally at right angles to the plate so as to receive the edge of a table top, board or the like, one of the arms having a thumb-screw 23 engaged therethrough, suitably knobbed atits inner end to press against one side of an inserted table edge or the like, so that the machine may be mounted quickly upon such table edge and quickly removed when desired. When so mounted, the lower edge of the plate 20 extends horizontally adjacent the level of the table top 2!. The plate 20 is substantially rectangular in form, both in plan, elevation and transverse section, and its upper edge preferably extends a distance above the yokes 2i. Secured to the front face of the plate 20 there is a needle mounting bar or pallet 25, and this bar may be removable from the plate 20 if desired. Mounted transversely on the bar pallet 25 there is a multiplicity of needles, hooks, or loopers 26, all of identical shape and function indicated which may be arranged in alternated pairs of long and short needles. These needles are substantially rings of steel wire, elongated and resembling in form and function the common safety pin, although shank portion or the lower part 28 of the needle, 5

is tapered so as to form the point 29 of the needle, which is inwardly presented. In practice, this pointis formed approximately of an inch in length, although this measurement is not arbitrary and they may be made shorter or longer, as the nature of the work may require, or as experience in use may dictate. The opposite end portion of the wire of which the needle is formed slightly overlaps the part 28 and extends therefrom rectilinearly and parallel to the lower side 28 of the needle, forming a combined inner point and keeper 38, which may be readily depressed against the bottom part 28 to open the needle. The outer bight portion 21 of the needle is flattened at the sides so as to give greater rigidity to the point 29 in relation to the bottom bar 28. The point 38 is grooved on its upper sides so as, to receive the point 29 in the groove portion, permitting the two needle portions to lie in alinement with each other, so that 25 loops of yarn may be readily moved slidably over the bight 21 and inwardly or outwardly in the knitting of the work, as will be described. The shank or bottom bar 28 is formed with a recess 32 in its upper side, positioned so that the point 39 may be depressed thereinto at times, to permit a loop engaged around-the shank or bar 28 withinthe bight 2'! to be moved slidably inward and over the point 30, so that the loop will then embrace both the point 30 and the shank 28, as

will be described.

The needles are mounted ,over the pallet bar 25 in such manner that they are held at right angles thereto, and in vertical planes, as well as being readily removable individually, or all 40 as a unit. The unit consists of an anchorage plate '33, attached to the back side of the bar 25, and having an upper portion set horizontally forward at right angles over the top side of the bar and then turned upwardly, as at 44, forming a vertical flange. This flange is provided with a multiplicity of unformly spaced apertures 35, somewhat larger than the cross sectional measurement of the wire of which the needles are formed, each needle being engaged through a respective aperture of the plate and extended forwardly, the junction of the inner point portion or shank 38 and the lower shank 28 being a recurved portion of the shank 23 in the form of a semi-circular bight 36, the lower part of which extends through the aperture and the upper part of which extends over the upper edge of the flange 34. The dimensions of .the pallet, bar 25 between its front and rear faces is much less than the length of the needles between the bights 27 and 36, so that theneedles when adjusted forwardly in the flange 34 all project a considerable distance in front of the pallet bar.

On-"the froht faCQ. 0f the .pallet bar there attached a comb plate 31, having a multiplicityof 5 upwardly projected rectilinear teeth at intervals the same as the intervals at which the apertures 35 are located, and spaced from each other a distance, to receive slidably therebetween the respective needles, one between each two teeth.

In this manner, the needles are securely held in vertical planes and parallel relationa The needles are free to move vertically from the comb plate when the pallet bar is detached from the back plate 28, but in the machine completely appear hereinafter.

As shown in Figure 1, the needles are of uni-" form length, which is found desirable foruse with coarse yarn, and may also be used for finer- .a purpose to be explained. This shank 38 is connected hingedly at 88tothe plate 20 at such level that it may lie against the front face of the plate 28 with its lower edge disposed over the needles while the latter are in closed position, as shown in Figure 1. On forward movement of the bar 38 at its upper part, its forward lower edge portion, constituting a heel 48, will press upon the inner needle 80. depressing the latter so as to clear the point 28. When sufficiently depressed, the points 38 of the needles enter the recesses 32. Means is provided for operating the needles as last mentioned, consisting of a mounting bracket 4| secured to the plate 20 and projecting a distance thereabove, a cam 42 being revolubly mounted on the forward side of this bracket, having a low part normally located adjacent the upwardly projecting edge portion of the bar 38, and a high portion 43 which upon proper rotation of cam will bear forwardly upon the'bar 38, full movement of the cam causing the heel 40 of the lever or bar 38 to move the needle portions 30 to full open position, with their points engaged in the recesses 32. As a formal showing of means to operate the cam 42, an integral lever arm 44 is shown extended therefrom, which may be operated manually, or may be connected to any usual treadle or kneeactuated means, not shown, these being well known mechanical expedients requiring no special disclosure in this application. In the present instance, friction between the cam 42 and bar 38 is contemplated to hold-the cam in needleopening position until manually returned, or until otherwise returned, for reasons which will yarns, as will be hereinafter explained. In Figure 5, however, needles are arranged in alternated pairs of long and short needles, so that in the manual use of the device as hereinafter described, the yarn will be caused to be drawn to a proper length in the stitches automatically, to regulate the tension in the finished goods, and especially to avoid excessive tightness in the weave.

In the use of the machine, the construction being assembled as shown in Figures 1 and 4, and attached to a tableas indicated, the user may sit in front of the machine with a ball of yarn, either loose or held in a convenient holder, preferably at the right hand side of the machine. The yarn is started upon the needles by a series of loops at being formed on the needles, one loop being arranged on each needle, so that the series has the appearance of ,a -scroll-or" a a the yarn 48 from the hank or ball will extend downwardly between the extreme needle at the left hand side of the series and nearest to the comb plate 31, so that this downwardly extendthe successive needles.

ing portion of yarn lies behind the thread from the loop a of the next needle to the right. All of the loops a thus placed are then pressed rearwardly toward or against the comb plate, and the lever 44 then operated to open the needles. The yarn 45 is then brought upwardly at the left hand side of the entire series and moved toward the right over the series of needles, and laid in the open needles, so that it passes under the points 29, extending rectilinearly in all of the bights 21. The needles are then released and permitted to close by moving the lever 44 to released position, whereby all of the needles are closed again, as shown in Figure 17. The loops a on the needles are then drawn forwardly over the closed needles and therefrom, so that a loop I) is formed in the thread laid in each of the needle bights, the yarn feeding from .the right toward the left as these loops b are formed on As shown in Figure 10, the body of the work is then swung downwardly to a position shown in Figure 6, after which the lever 44 is operated to open the needles again, and the newly formed loop I) which is then disposed in the bight under the point 29 is forced rearwardly, passing over the point of the depressed needle part 30 to a position as shown in Figure 7. The yarn at this time will be hanging from the right hand side of the work, and is nowswung to the left laid in the open needles as before described, and the needles then permitted to close as shown in Figure 9. This expands the loops b which have been previously moved over the inclined rear points 30, and those expanded loopsb are now drawn forwardly over and from the needles as first mentioned, forming a new set of loops the loops 17 being drawn forwardly successively from right to left. The operation of Figure 6, and Figure '7 are now repeated, at the completion of which the yarn will be handing from the left hand edge of the work again, and the operations previously described, except the formation of the initial loops, are then repeated and the work carried to the size desired.

Various patterns and designs in color may be worked into the product, as, by using double thread or yarn, and by using different colors of yarn applied to respective needles on each transverse series of eyes" or loops formed with the device, and alsoby the application of fancy knitting which may be formed and applied at the same time as the regular knitting, with or without the use of auxiliary needles.

Various other methods of procedure and operations of the device will be understood by those versed: in the art, from the specific description heretofore given, and it willbe understood that this is purely exemplary. as well as the structure of th machine, the specific details and arrangements of parts in which may be varied considerably from that shown without departing from the spirit of the invention, as more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

It has been found practicable to form the larger pieces or my machine in wood, but it is also, adapted to be embodied in metal throughout,

if so desired.

In the operation of the machine, where the needles are all of uniform length, an auxiliary comb or drawing tool 45 may be employed, if de sired, consisting of a handle portion 46, in which there are set a suitable number of steel tines 41, which at a distance from the handle are bent at right angles to form teeth 48 spaced the same as the needles previously described, and adapted to be inserted between the needles to draw the work outwardly. By the use of this tool a number of loops on the needles may be drawn outwardly at one time, to form new eyes in the parts which extend through the bights 21 of the needles. As these eyes are formed, the yarn is drawn slidably through the remainder of the needles. By the use of the alternated pairs of long and short needles as shown in Figure 5, it will be noted that when the loops on the closed needles are drawn outwardly, so as to formnew eyes in the yarn laid in the bights of the needles, diagonal portions of the yarn will be found extending between the eyes on the long needles and those on the short needles, affording a certain excess of yarn, which, when the eyes are pressed inwardly without use of the tool 45.

I claim: 1. A needle element for knitting machines, a

substantially hook shaped needle element having an outwardly extended shank and outwardly presented bight portion and an inwardly presented point extended therefrom, and a movably mounted inner needle element having an outwardly presented point constructed to register with the first named point at times, to permit movement of an eye of yarn and the like, from one over the other, the last named point element being movable into close relation with the shank of the first named needle element, whereby an eye through which the bight is engaged may be moved slidably inward to encompass bothsaid shank and said inner needle.

2. The article of claim 1 in which said irmer needle element is resiliently supported in alined relation to the first named point.

3. As an article of manufacture, a needle element for knitting machines of the general character indicated, consisting of a wire having an intermediate rectilinear shank, and an end portion tapered to a sharp point and bent at a distance from said point into recurved closerelation to the shank, and having an opposite end portion similarly recurved and extended in close relation to said intermediate portion and formed with a recessed point adapted to receive the first named point attimes, and movable from the first named point inwardly.

4. A needle device for the purposes described, comprising a bar element having a central rectilinear shank and a short point portion bent into recurved relation and extending a distance in close spaced relation to the shank to receive a portion of yarn thereunder, and having an opposite end point portion extended rectilinearly parallel to, the said shank normally, but depressible against the shank portion and having a recessed point normally tending to spring outwardly against the first named point, for the purposes described.

CHARLES D. WOOD. 

